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Author Profile - Prince Anin-Agyei

Biography:

Prince Anin-Agyei comes from a little town in the Eastern Region of Ghana called Achiase. He holds a Diploma in Animal Science from Thomson Education Direct, Pennsylvania (USA), and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science and Sociology from the University of Ghana, Legon. He is a Pan-Africanist and also a member of several international poetry societies like the International Society of Poets (ISP), International Matapoetry Movement (MIM), International Forum for Literature and Culture (IFLAC), the World Academy of Arts and Culture (WAAC) and the United States-African Literary Foundation (US-ALF).

Anin-Agyei is the author of the poetry collection 'Lyrics Of Kabutu: Collection Of African Poems', which was published by Authorhouse, Indiana (U.S.A). He is also the author of two other comprehensive traditional African poetry books ('Drumbeats Of The Black Christo' and 'Rhythm Of The Dead') and a traditional African novel ('Oracles Beyond The Gods') yet to be published.

He has won several International Poet of Merit Awards, Editor's Choice Awards and Commemorative Medallions for his poetry. Some of his poems have featured in African and North American anthologies like the Eternal Portraits Series, Poet's Corner, The Origin, International Who's is Who in Poetry and The Sound of Poetry (poetry collection on CD).

Five questions with Prince Anin-Agyei:

1. What do you think is the role of poetry in modern Ghanaian politics?

Most Ghanaians don't have the habit of reading, so it will be quite difficult to send a strong political idea through poetry.

2. In "Paradox," you have chosen not to name the person who you are referring to, which proves to be a very effective technique. Why did you decide to take this route?

As a rationalist, I have always written to provoke the inner self of my readers, i.e. to get them thinking and thinking.

3. Do you think it is possible to understand "Paradox" without a previous understanding of Ghanaian history?

Whoever thinks deeply will find 'Paradox' very interesting and entertaining.

4. In your last profile, in reference to poetry in Africa, you discussed the need to "create more avenues to achieve this ultimate means of expressing our Africaness." What are these avenues you were referring to?

We must learn to have more writing clubs, societies and organizations like OGOV to champion the need of reading and reward writers.

5. What effect has your involvement in global writing organizations, such as the International Society of Poets, had on your writing?

This has exposed me to different approaches in writings and has also given me the courage and hope that African poets and their poetry is the best in the world.